Katherine Legge returns to top-20 with stellar run at Brickyard 400, completes NASCAR double at Indianapolis
- RACERS
- Jul 29
- 5 min read
Katherine Legge delivered a highly impressive NASCAR performance at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, securing a career-best 17th place finish in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Brickyard 400 on Sunday, as the British driver bounced back from misfortune in Saturday’s Xfinity race with a spectacular run in Sunday’s main event.
Katherine Legge delivered a highly impressive NASCAR performance at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, securing a career-best 17th place finish in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Brickyard 400 on Sunday.
The British driver completed double duty, competing in both the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series races across the weekend, bouncing back from misfortune in Saturday’s Xfinity race with a spectacular run in Sunday’s main event.
After two Cup outings at Sonoma and Chicago, where she gained attention for her rapid progress and first top-20 finish, Legge returned to the Xfinity Series behind the wheel of the #32 Desnuda Tequila Chevrolet—in her sixth Xfinity start of the season.
She impressed early in the weekend with a strong qualifying performance, clocking 163.559 mph—good enough to temporarily sit third fastest during her run. Though not at risk of missing the race, her effort stood out, and she lined up 24th on the grid, in one of her best Xfinity starts this year.
At the drop of the green flag, Legge got away cleanly, settling into P27 before narrowly avoiding the spinning Harrison Burton in an early Lap 3 incident. She climbed to P25 as the first caution flew and remained out on track while others pitted.
As the race resumed, she held firm within the pack and advanced to P26 by Lap 12, showing consistent pace. Although she lost a position to Burton and came under pressure from Kyle Sieg, she ran solidly to the end of Stage 1, finishing P28.
After pitting with the majority of the field, Legge restarted P31 but made again quick progress—gaining positions on Nick Sanchez, Josh Bilicki, and Garrett Smithley—to end Stage 2 in P29. She pitted again and restarted P32, just ahead of a multi-car incident on Lap 67 involving Carson Kvapil and Leland Honeyman. Legge once again avoided the chaos, moving up to P29.
With rain looming, caution periods began to interrupt the final stage. Legge was however forced to pit on Lap 74 with an electric issue, which ultimately ended her day. Though the team attempted to resolve the issue to get her back on track for experience, she was forced to retire. Still, it was a clean and educational run for Legge, who had been making steady progress.
Returning to Cup Series action for Live Fast Motorsports, Legge piloted the #78 Chevrolet in Sunday’s Brickyard 400. The race marked her first NASCAR Cup appearance on the famed Indianapolis oval, where she had previously competed four times in the Indianapolis 500—still holding the record as the fastest woman ever in Indy 500 qualifying.
Qualifying proved tricky, and she posted a lap at 157.997 mph, which placed her P38. With all 39 entries locked in, Legge would use the opportunity to add more valuable mileage at NASCAR’s highest level and climb the field.
At the green flag, Legge settled into position ahead of Josh Bilicki, holding P38; she maintained position and gradually closed in on the tail end of the pack, improving her lap times to the 53.1s.
On Lap 16, the race’s first caution came out when Ross Chastain hit the wall after contact from Michael McDowell. Legge pitted for adjustments and rejoined in P36, with now a better car balance.
She capitalized on the restart, climbing to P33 and running consistently in the low 52-second range. By the end of Stage 1, with pit stops cycling her forward, she crossed the line in 30th place, showcasing growing confidence and pace.
After a clean Stage 2 restart, a few contacts ahead on the main straight saw Legge staying clear and climbed to P30. She continued to improve her times—dropping to a 52.082, then 52.034—while managing tyre wear and fuel effectively.
Running closely behind Kyle Busch and steadily gaining ground, she reached P24 by Lap 84. As other drivers encountered issues or made pit stops, Legge climbed into the top 20, then advanced to P13 as Austin Cindric suffered a tyre puncture. Her times remained competitive, and when Erik Jones brought out a caution, Legge had run as high as ninth, marking the first time she had entered the top 10 in a Cup race.
With the field pitting under yellow, Legge dropped to P22, but she was now clearly on a strong run. She ended Stage 2 in P23, and once again improved her personal best to a 51.883. After pitting under caution to top off fuel, she held P22 on the restart, soon running another new fastest lap of 51.830, then improving further to a 51.6 pace.
As green-flag pit stops began, Legge stayed out and climbed to a remarkable fifth place by Lap 123—her highest ever running position in the Cup Series. Even as fuel strategies began to play out, she remained consistent and pulled away from cars behind. When the leaders finally pitted, she cycled as high as second, then pitted from third with 20 laps to go, taking two tyres and fuel for the finish.
Rejoining in P23, she hoped for a late caution—and got it with nine laps to go, when rain began falling over the track. As the Lucky Dog, she regained the lead lap just before the race was red-flagged with four laps remaining.
Once the red flag lifted, the race resumed with a two-lap shootout: Legge pitted for fresh tyres and lined up at the back. As the first restart, the predictable wreck unfolded in front of her, she expertly picked her way through to move into P18. On the final restart, she made another clean launch and held her own in a dramatic dash to the finish.
Crossing the line in 17th place, Legge not only scored her second career NASCAR Cup top-20 finish, but improved on her previous best of 19th. Even more impressively, she finished on the lead lap, showcasing strong pace and good race management, especially throughout the middle stint.
It was the best finish for a female driver at the Brickyard 400 since Danica Patrick in 2017 — and the team's fourth-best finish in its history.
Legge’s performance at Indianapolis hopefully marked a turning point in her NASCAR journey: from a strong qualifying effort and solid race in Xfinity to a head-turning run in the Brickyard 400, she proved the positive steps forward made in just a few starts, which reflect her growing understanding of the vehicle. As her career chapter in stock car racing continues, this weekend was clearly a crucial step forward for the versatile British driver.
